The Green Bay Packers had Dallas Cowboys fans feeling down after the Packers handily defeated the Cowboys 48-32 in the NFC Wild Card Game on January 14.
Cameras panned to different sections of the crowd throughout the game, showing the disparity in moods between the two sets of fans. One group of Cowboys fans claims to have had it the worst.
In a now-viral video on TikTok posted on January 18, Cowboys cheerleader Darian Lassiter claims that Packers players yelled at the cheerleaders whenever the Packers scored a touchdown.
“I’ve never experienced such disrespect from the other team’s players to the cheerleaders in my five years as an NFL cheerleader,” ” Lassiter states in the video.
“They would come up to us standing on the sidelines minding our own business and start yelling at us. I feel like that’s unsportsmanlike conduct and it’s so crazy how they can’t do that to the Cowboys players, but they can do it to the cheerleaders and nothing is going to happen.”
Social Media Reacts to the Situation
Jensen Merrill, another Cowboys cheerleader reiterated Lassiter’s sentiments in the comments section.
“Literally was on the verge of tears,” wrote Merrill.
Several others in the comments chastised the players, the Packers as a team, and the NFL.
“@GreenBayPackers this is so disgusting,” wrote one TikTok user.
“Hello!?!? Why isn’t this being talked about?” another user replied.
“This is absolutely insane and needs to be addressed. @NFL @GreenBayPackers,” commented another user.
GettyThe Packers celebrating a touchdown against the Dallas Cowboys
While there are a fair share of negative comments under the video, others have called into question the validity of Lassiter’s claims.
“Where are all the videos? As much recording that goes on during games I believe this would have been all over TikTok,” one user replied.
“I mean what were they saying? Were they saying anything vulgar or aggressive?” wrote another user.
“Wouldn’t there be video footage from the constant filming NFL if this happened? Name the player(s),” another user commented.
At the time of writing, there has not been any footage released to back up Lassiter’s claims.
NFL Cheerleaders Haven’t Had It Easy
Cheerleading can oftentimes be an unglamorous profession.
According to an article from ESPN, cheerleaders earn anywhere from $75 to $150 per game. The most popular cheerleaders, like the Dallas Cowboys, can earn up to $500 per game. The Packers are one of eight NFL teams that do not have cheerleaders.
In 2014, the U.S Department of Labor launched an investigation into the treatment of the “Raiderettes”, the cheerleaders for the Oakland Raiders (now the Las Vegas Raiders). The investigation was launched in response to a lawsuit filed by a Raiderette which alleged wage theft and unfair employment practices.
According to that lawsuit, the Raiderettes earn $1250 per season, which equals $5 per hour. At the time of the lawsuit, California’s minimum wage was $8 per hour. In September of 2014, the suit ended in a settlement in which ninety former Raiders cheerleaders would receive $1.25 million ($13,888 each).
GettyThe Oakland Raiderettes
In 2021, PBS released the documentary A Woman’s Work: The NFL’s Cheerleader Problem. The documentary highlights the gender pay gap in the NFL, and includes interviews with current and former NFL cheerleaders.
“Gameday doesn’t make up for the fact that we work nine months straight with no paycheck,” said Lacy, a former Oakland Raiders cheerleader.
“Football and cheerleading, nothing’s more American than that,” said former California Assemblywoman Lorena Gonzalez. “Unfortunately, nothing’s more American than cheating workers out of an honest day’s pay too.”
At the time of writing, neither the Packers nor the NFL has released a statement in response to Lassiter’s claims.
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Cowboys Cheerleader Claims Packers Players Yelled in Her Face: ‘Such Disrespect’